The Victoria Foundation

What The Victoria Foundation does

The Victoria Foundation is a community foundation established in 1936 in Victoria, British Columbia, operating as a registered Canadian charity (CRA BN 130650898RR0001) and the second oldest community foundation in Canada. It manages charitable gifts from individuals, families, businesses, and advisors, placing them into permanent, income-earning funds that distribute grants to charitable organizations across the Greater Victoria and Capital Regional District. The foundation administers more than 800 funds, including over 200 endowment funds held on behalf of 160+ hosted organizations, and distributes multi-million-dollar annual grants through its Community Grants Program (Vital Stream and Collaboration Grant Stream) and a suite of scholarship, legacy giving, and Community Action Fund vehicles.

The foundation's product surface spans Donor Advised Funds, Hosted Organization Funds, the Community Grants Program, the Victoria's Vital Signs community research program (running since 2006), Vital Youth scholarships, Legacy Giving and Wills services, ten Community Action Funds, and new themed initiatives such as the Gadsden Initiative and Local Impact Funds. Supporting infrastructure includes a Donor Portal, a Grants Portal for applicants, and published research outputs (Pulse Magazine, State of the Sector Report, Architects of Belonging, Vital Signs reports). The Vital Signs program is currently being redesigned through a 2027 initiative in partnership with The Roy Group to remain relevant for the next 20 years.

Revenue mechanics are donation-driven rather than commercial: the foundation accepts cash, publicly listed securities, real estate, works of art, antiques, life insurance, RRSPs/RRIFs, TFSAs, and charitable remainder trusts. Donations of $20 or more receive Canada Revenue Agency-compliant tax receipts, and securities transfers are processed through CIBC Wood Gundy. The foundation also relies on corporate partnerships for program sponsorship (e.g., Coast Capital for Vital Signs 2024, Nicola Wealth for the 2026 90th anniversary) and on CanadaHelps as a digital donation channel. To date, the foundation has invested more than $340 million (unaudited, fiscal year ending December 31, 2023) in people, projects, and non-profit organizations across BC and Canada.

Name

The Victoria Foundation

Legal name

Victoria Foundation

Website

https://victoriafoundation.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Victoria Foundation, established in 1936, manages over 800 charitable funds and distributes $6.19M annually to 243 organizations in Greater Victoria. It connects individual donors, businesses, and professional advisors with charitable causes through donor advised funds, hosted endowments, and grant programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation and Grantmaking Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Donor advised funds
• Grantmaking programs
• Endowment fund administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: The foundation receives donations of various asset types including cash, publicly listed securities, real estate, works of art, antiques, life insurance, RRSPs/RRIFs, TFSAs, and charitable remainder trusts. Donors can contribute to existing funds or create new Donor Advised Funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Victoria Foundation is a community foundation that manages charitable gifts from donors, creating permanent, income-earning endowment funds. It accepts a wide range of donated assets (cash, securities, real estate, life insurance, RRSPs, charitable remainder trusts), invests them, and distributes the proceeds as grants to charitable and educational organizations. It also hosts endowment funds on behalf of more than 160 charitable organizations and runs an annual community grants program that distributed over $6.19 million to 243 organizations.

Product overview

The Victoria Foundation offers a comprehensive suite of charitable fund management and granting services. The core offerings include Donor Advised Funds for individuals and families, Hosted Organization Funds for charities seeking endowment management, and the Community Grants Program distributing millions annually. Supporting programs include Victoria's Vital Signs research initiative, Scholarship Funds, Legacy Giving services, Community Action Funds across ten cause areas, and various publications. The foundation manages over 800 funds supporting hundreds of charitable organizations in the Capital Region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vital Signs: A community check-up program that evaluates the Capital Region as a place to live, learn, work and grow, measuring the health of Greater Victoria and assigning citizen grades in areas critical to wellbeing.
• Vital Youth
• Community Action Funds
• Local Impact Funds

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds Charitable funds established by individual donors and families who retain advisory privileges to recommend grants to charities of their choice; the foundation handles investment, administration, and grant distribution.
• Hosted Organization Funds Endowment funds established by charitable organizations to create long-term, sustainable revenue sources. The foundation manages the invested assets on behalf of over 160 hosted organizations, providing professional administration and back-office support.
• Community Grants Program Annual granting program that distributes millions of dollars to local charities through the Vital Stream and Collaboration Grant Stream, supporting organizations addressing community challenges.
• Victoria's Vital Signs
• Scholarship Funds Numerous scholarship and bursary funds that provide financial support to students pursuing post-secondary education across various disciplines, administered through the foundation.
• Legacy Giving and Wills Planned giving services that allow donors to include charitable gifts in their estate plans, including charitable remainder trusts, RRSP/RRIF designations, life insurance gifts, and bequests through wills.
• Community Action Funds Ten themed funds that direct donations toward specific cause areas including Arts and Culture, Environment, Health and Wellness, Housing, Food Security, Education, and Indigenous Priorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $340 million invested in people, projects and non-profit organizations since 1936
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Nicola WealthmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Presenting sponsor for the 90th anniversary celebration event on September 26, 2026 at Victoria Conference Centre.
• Coast CapitalmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Uplifting Partner for the 90th anniversary celebration.
• Coast CapitalmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Presenting sponsor for the 2024 Vital Signs program. Coast Capital is a member-owned financial cooperative with 600,000 members committed to community investment.
• Community Foundations of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictoria Foundation is a proud member of Community Foundations of Canada, part of a national network of community foundations. CFC coordinates the Vital Signs program nationally and provides resources for professional advisors and donors.
• Imagine CanadacoreOthersAccredited member of Imagine Canada Standards Program, demonstrating commitment to responsible self-governance, budget transparency and ethical fundraising practices.
• Prosperity PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerImpact Partner for the 90th anniversary celebration.
• Island SavingsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerImpact Partner for the 90th anniversary celebration.
• The Roy GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner working with Victoria Foundation to reimagine the Vital Signs program for the next 20 years, conducting collaborative engagement sessions with community stakeholders.
• CanadaHelpscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline donation platform processing donations with 3.5% transaction fee on monthly donations and 3.75% on one-time donations. Provides receipting, reconciliation and disbursement services.
• CIBC Wood GundycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBrokerage partner for processing gifts of publicly listed securities. Receives donor directions and advises foundation of securities receipt and market value.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Edmonton Community Foundation: Long-standing Alberta community foundation managing pooled funds, donor-advised funds, and agency endowments while running community grant programs. Direct peer with overlapping fund types and grantmaking streams.
• Vancouver Foundation: The largest community foundation in British Columbia, operating the same community-foundation model of pooled funds, donor-advised funds, hosted endowment management, and place-based grantmaking across Metro Vancouver. Most directly comparable peer given shared province, donor demographic, and fund structure.
• Toronto Foundation: Major Canadian community foundation operating donor-advised funds, agency endowment hosting, and community grant programs in the Greater Toronto Area. Comparable scale, fund structure, and cause-area grantmaking model, with similar Vital Signs-style community research programs.
• Calgary Foundation: One of Canada's largest community foundations, offering donor-advised funds, hosted endowment services, and community grantmaking across Calgary and area. Directly comparable in fund management, granting streams, and Vital Signs-style community indicators work.
• Foundation of Greater Montréal: Major Quebec-based community foundation offering donor-advised funds, agency endowments, and a community grants program with thematic funds similar to the Victoria Foundation's Community Action Funds. Comparable in scale and program breadth.
• Ottawa Community Foundation: Ontario community foundation managing donor-advised funds, agency endowments, and Vital Signs-style community indicators reports. Direct peer with overlapping products and community-research programming.
• The Winnipeg Foundation: Canada's oldest community foundation (1921), operating donor-advised funds, permanent endowment funds, and community grantmaking for the Winnipeg region. Directly comparable governance, fund, and grant programs, with a longer operating history than the Victoria Foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Community Foundations of Canada: National membership network of Canada's 200+ community foundations that the Victoria Foundation belongs to. Provides national Vital Signs coordination, shared resources, and brand umbrella — broader in scope than a single community foundation.
• United Way British Columbia: Major regional fundraiser and grantmaker serving many of the same communities and charitable organizations in BC. Overlaps with the Victoria Foundation on grantmaking to local charities and workplace-giving donor pools, but operates a different federated-fundraising model.

Others

• Make-A-Wish Canada: National charitable organization that operates a hosted endowment-style fund model at some community foundations and competes for charitable donations in the same Canadian donor market. Adjacent rather than direct, but useful as a benchmark for hosted-fund and donor-pool dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VicFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheVictoriaFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-victoria-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/victoriafoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Victoria Foundation